My son and I both have the exact same diagnoses: twice exceptional (2e), meaning gifted with ADHD and anxiety. We are similar in a lot of ways. We both love reading and sports. We are both energetic, intense, passionate, forgetful, distractible, impulsive, introverted, and good problem-solvers.
We also differ in a lot of ways too. My son is creative and artistic, I am not. He loves and excels in math, I do not. He loves video games, I most decidedly do not. He hates writing, I love writing. He is mostly a sensory-seeker, I am mostly a sensory avoider.
If my 8 year old self were in the same class as him, we would look very similar on paper, yet very different in person. I masked my then-undiagnosed ADHD throughout my school years and performed very well academically. My son’s presentation is different. He is bored in school and doesn’t care about getting good grades. I love science now, but hated it in school. My son has always loved science, especially doing experiments.
I was socially isolated, bullied, and had very few friends. My son has a strong personality and has had his share of conflict, but generally tends to get along well with other children, and is well-liked by most of his peers.
My point is, two people will not have the same accommodation or support needs just because they share a diagnosis. Conversely, two people with different diagnoses (or none at all) can have similar needs.
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